Simon Returns
by Franny0604
Summary: Ice King suffers a concussion and goes into a coma. When he awakes he reverts back to being Simon Petrikov. He gets to know grown-up Marceline and see what has become of his life. Will he be able to keep control over his memories?
1. Preparations

**Adventure Time Fanfic**

**Simon Returns**

**Ch 1 – Preparations**

Ice King woke up that morning feeling strangely optimistic. Last night he finally perfected his Princess song and planned to play it for his Princess Bubblegum this afternoon. He sat up and looked for Gunther.

"Gunther! Where are you, darling?"

"Quack." Came the muffled reply from somewhere beside him.

"Oh Gunther, you're so silly getting lost in all those blankets." He said lovingly at his penguin.

He picked up Gunther and began dancing around his Ice Castle while humming his Princess song. _Bubblegum is going to love it!_ He thought excitedly.

He put Gunther down on the shelf and went to his closet to get two robes. He held them out to Gunther. "Which do you like better, Gunther?"

"Quack," was the reply.

"Yeah, you're right this one definitely would bring out my eyes. Oh man, PB is going to go crazy when she gets a load of this! Gunther, quick! Help me brush my hair. Daddy has to look perfect if he's finally going to bring a princess home for good."

"Quack," replied Gunther as he began to pat Ice King's hair with his flipper.

"No, Gunther you're doing it all wrong. Just let me do it." Ice King began brushing his tangled hair and beard. When it was neat he walked towards the window and turned to Gunther, "Okay, I'm leaving now. Wish me luck!"

"Quack," replied Gunther as Ice King flew out the window with his beard.

"Quack…" Gunther said again as he slapped a flipper to his head.

A moment later Ice King returned, "Oops, I forgot my keyboard!" He chuckled nervously. With his keyboard in hand, Ice King left the Ice Castle for the second time that day.

"Quack quack," Gunther muttered.

* * *

Ice King flew over the green lands towards the Candy Kingdom. Soon he would be able to see his princess, play her song and finally win her heart. He just needed to find someone to take away the lonely feeling in his chest. It was like a hole that was constantly growing bigger with each passing day. The loneliness got harder and harder to bear. People thought he was insane for trying to win the love of different princesses a million different ways, but he was just desperate to have the loneliness gone away for good.

He didn't know what caused the loneliness. For some reason, Princess Bubblegum had been the only princess who took away those feelings and left him with a sense of remembrance. But every time he tried to think about his life before being the Ice King, his head start to hurt and if he kept trying to push through the mental block he would pass out. Not even sitting in the The Past room helped. All he knew was he might have been called Simon Petrikov once, if he decided to trust Marceline. Marceline was also the one other person who seemed familiar to him, though he didn't remember why. He always felt the need to protect her and spend time with her. He liked to see her, even if she got frustrated with him. But since their jam session at her house, she had been warmer to him. It was nice to have someone who he could talk to that could talk back.

_I wish I could remember…_ he thought.

Out loud he said, "Oh well, it's best not to dwell on it now. There's PB's room!"

* * *

Princess Bubblegum was in the lab working on an aging potion when she heard music coming from her room. Curious, she went to go see what it was.

_It sounds like a keyboard,_ she thought. _Ugh, I hope it isn't the Ice King up to another one of his antics._

Unfortunately luck was not with her on this day and it was indeed the Ice King sitting in her room attempting to play a tune on his keyboard.

From previous encounters she knew it was best to silently wait for the Ice King to finish these kinds of things before throwing him out of the castle. He was always more willing to go after he showed her what he had to offer. She honestly didn't know why he bothered, but she supposed his persistence could have been endearing if he wasn't so crazy half of the time.

"Hi, Ice King." She said with a sigh.

"Hey PB, how's it going? I have something to show you and I'm sure you're going to love it!" He said excitedly. "Just sit down on this chair and prepare to be amazed. I wrote this just for you."

The Ice King walked over to the keyboard and began playing a simple yet enchanting melody. It would've made a fantastic song if it weren't for the lyrics and voice that followed it.

_Slime princess, you're alright._

_Flame princess, you're okay._

_Wildberry princess could be better…_

_Oh God, _Princess Bubblegum thought. _ What is he doing? _She groaned in frustration.

_All of the princesses are pretty alright but…_

_Oh, Bubblegum!_

_You look like a lot of fun._

Disgusted, she stopped listening, not wanting to hear what Ice King thought of her in horrible song.

At one point in the song, snow started falling from the ceiling of her room and the Ice King's lyrics took on a sad tone. She tried to pay attention, hoping to better understand the Ice King.

_Oh Bubblegum, I really need someone._

_Or anyone, pretty much anyone…_

_I'm so alone! Won't somebody tell me what's wrong with me?!_

As he sang this line, he began sobbing and the spot in which the snow fell from began to turn into a thick patch of ice.

_Anybody, anybody, anybody! _He sang as he stepped under the ice patch. He continued with his pleading but she couldn't hear what he was saying anymore. She was more concerned with the way he shot ice balls at the ceiling.

Princess Bubblegum knew this couldn't end well. Ice King was emotional and destroying her room. Another worry passed through her mind as she realized he was freezing the candy room.

_Candy breaks when it freezes!_ She thought suddenly. _ I have to get him to stop this before he hurts himself and everyone else!_

But almost as soon as the thought flitted her mind, as if on cue the ceiling started cracking. Ice King couldn't hear it over his sobbing so she tried her best to shout warnings at him.

Suddenly big chunks of frozen candy began falling from the ceiling. The chunks fell bigger and bigger as more of her ruined roof fell to the ground at the Ice King's feet.

The biggest piece of ice that was still attached to the roof suddenly gave way. She shouted to the Ice King to move out of the way but it was too late. It fell on him and hit him on the head before pinning him to the ground.

"Banana guards! Help, please!" She cried out, worriedly.

And for once she wasn't calling the Banana Guards for herself against the Ice King, but for the Ice King.


	2. A Time for Reflections

**A/N: I didn't expect this story to get so many views within the first day! It's incredibly exciting to see :D I know it sounds cheesy and all, but the reviews really ARE encouraging! I'm so glad you guys are liking it so far.**

**Just a little side note, I'm not planning on sticking with SO many POV changes, they're mainly there to establish certain things in the story so I'll use them as I see fit :)**

**Also, I apologize for the awkward layouts the first few chapters will have. I'm trying to make it as nice as I can. I never realized how complicated could be :P all of y'all make it seem so easy!**

**Anyway, without further adieu, here is the next chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I unfortunately don't own Adventure Time :(**

**Chapter 2 – A Time for Reflections**

Marceline sat on the ledge of her cave which overlooked the Candy Kingdom and various parts of Ooo. She played a sad sounding melody on her guitar as she tried to write a song about the Mushroom War and Simon to try and keep it out of her mind by emptying her thoughts into her music.

_It was so long ago but everything has changed… _she sang softly.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of Simon. Poor, sweet Simon who took care of her for a long time after the war when she was young. He didn't remember who she was anymore. He didn't even remember who he was. Simon went by Ice King now. A name he gave himself because he wore that stupid crown with the ice powers. She hated that crown because it stole Simon away from her. He used to put it on to try and protect her from the mutants and he never noticed that he was losing himself in the process.

_I remember you…_

_Being an immortal creature from the Nightosphere, _

_Even if it takes a thousand summers,_

_I will wait for you to remember me._

She brought the song to a close with a few chords. Tears still rolled down her face and as she stared off into the distance, she was grateful she lived so far from people so no one could witness the Great Marceline cry.

As she stared, she noticed smoke coming from the top of the Candy Castle and thought she saw the Candy People making a commotion in the streets.

"I hope Princess Bubblegum is alright," she thought out loud to herself. She was never close to PB. In fact, Marceline thought she was super prep and rude. But Marceline admired her in her own way.

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and mumbled, "I guess I had better go see what's up."

She transformed into a bat and flew over the lands to the Candy Kingdom.

* * *

As she got closer Marceline could see an ambulance pulling in front of the Candy Castle. She hurried to the bottom of the castle and transformed back into a vampire. Princess Bubblegum stepped out first and was followed out by two Banana Guards who were pushing a stretcher out of the doors of the castle. As she walked closer towards the stretcher she saw who it was.

"Simon!" She called out frantically.

He was wheeled past her towards the ambulance. He was unconscious and she could see a small patch of blood oozing from a towel one of the Banana Guards held to his head.

Princess Bubblegum walked past her in an attempt to get in the ambulance. Rage filled Marceline. She grabbed Bubblegum by the shoulder and turned her around.

"What did you do to him, you cow!" Marceline screamed. Princess Bubblegum just looked sadly at her. "Don't look at me like that! I know it was you! What have you done to Simon!?" She was aware she was beginning to make a scene in front of the Candy People but she could care less. Marceline felt her fangs extend in her mouth and her eyes change. She glared at Bubblegum as she said, "Don't you dare think of following him in that ambulance. That is _my_ right. And if you have done anything, _anything_ to him I will come back for you Bubblegum," she spat. "I swear on the Nightosphere I will."

And with that she stormed away and climbed in the ambulance behind Simon.

As she held the towel firmly to his head wound, she vaguely remembered that people didn't know him as Simon anymore and probably thought she was insane. _Well he'll always be Simon to me. Not Ice King. Everyone else can shove it._

She was too busy worry about Simon that she didn't even notice he no longer wore the Ice Crown.

* * *

As Princess Bubblegum watched the ambulance drive away, her lip trembled as tears began to swim in her eyes. It really was all her fault. She never took the Ice King seriously, always thinking he was harmless, and now he got hurt. _In her own room._ He might have a concussion. He could slip into a coma. _What if he never woke up? _This was bad. This was very bad.

Bubblegum went back into the castle before the Candy People could see her cry. She ruined everything. She really believed Marceline was starting to like her – even just a little bit. But the look in her eyes as she screamed at her was terrifying. Marceline, at that moment, looked fit to be the next ruler of the Nightosphere. There was so much hate and malice in her eyes – all of it directed at PB. _I deserve it._ And with that thought she retreated into her lab to play around with science as she brooded. She would stay in there until she felt she was ready to face Marceline and Ice King.

As she passed her room she noticed something shiny on the floor under the rubble. It glimmered as if it were mocking her. She went to pick it up and realized it was the Ice King's crown. It was all smashed and banged up and in no condition to be worn any longer. Princess Bubblegum groaned, _Great, another thing I'm responsible for. He's going to be angry too – if he ever wakes up._ She thought duly as she threw the crown across the room and retreated into her lab.

* * *

Dr. Princess stepped into the room. Marceline looked up at her with weary eyes.

"Tell me how he is, Doctor. Please." She practically begged.

"Well, besides the 40 stitches in his head, Ice King received a concussion and he's currently comatose. But before you get alarmed, a comatose state is perfectly normal after receiving such a head wound. He should wake up in a few days, maximum. Don't worry, Marceline. He'll be fine. If anyone can be persistent enough to fight through this it will be the Ice King." She smiled at her attempt at a joke.

"Can I please see him, Doctor Princess?"

"Yes of course, dear. Go right on in. Stay as long as you need to."

"Thank you so much," came her grateful reply as she stepped into Simon's room. She closed the door behind her and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"Oh, Simon," she said sadly as she took his closest hand with one of her own and ran her other hand lovingly through his hair. "Please come back to me."


	3. Chicken Soup

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update guys! In between training and horse shows I haven't had time to really sit down and write. But after reading all the new reviews I was determined to finish writing another chapter the second I got home and comfortable! Seriously guys, it means so much to me that you are all taking the time to read this and that you guys are enjoying what you're reading :) **

**I promise the angsty stuff will only last a little bit longer! I just had to set the tone I needed. I'm also trying to portray the characters as realistically as I can. Trying to profile them and get into their head. :P**

**Also, listening to this really helps me get in the mood to write. It's so beautiful. I always have it on repeat to help me think :P I'll share the link with you guys so you can listen to it while you read!**

** www . youtube watch?NR=1&v=mhuli9xRV0Y&feature=endscreen**

**(Without all the spaces!) :****D**

**Enjoy! xx**

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Chicken Soup**

Marceline spent the last 5 days at Simon's side. He still hadn't awakened but she wouldn't leave until he did. She wanted to be the first face he saw, even if he didn't remember it. Doctor Princess came in often to check on the both of them; she had become a rather good acquaintance of Marceline's. She wouldn't go as far as to call her a friend because Marcy didn't exactly have friends.

Marceline's mind drifted to a conversation she had with Dr. Princess a couple days ago.

_"Hey Marceline, I've heard that people who are in a coma can still hear the outside world. And that if you talk to them, hearing a familiar voice or thought can help them wake up. You should try it." Dr. Princess said with a wink as she left the room, having completed her check._

Since then, Marceline said and sung everything that came to her mind that Simon and Ice King may recognize.

Her voice was strained from talking so much. She was used to staying quiet until absolutely necessary.

The only time Marceline left Simon was to get his diary from the The Past room. She read it out loud to him, hoping one of the entries could wake him up. She was almost done reading it – there weren't many entries to begin with. Simon lost his mind before he could fill half of the diary. What surprised her most was that the diary was kept after the events of the Mushroom War, after he started taking care of Marcy. It was almost like he could sense his sanity fading and wanted to leave her a piece of himself for when she grew old and could not remember what he had once been like.

She was never able to read too much of the diary at a time because she'd end up in tears.

There were entries that talked about the crown taking his sanity, the hopelessness of their current state, having to protect Marcy, things they did that day – or rather, things Simon would do to entertain Marceline and write about how he loved to hear her laugh. _My greatest joy in the day is making Marcy laugh,_ were his exact words in one entry. His entries always ended the same way. He was holding on, but just barely. He felt himself lose more and more of his sanity every passing day. He was worried about what would happen to her when he couldn't remember anything.

_Please forgive me for whatever I do when I don't remember you._

She thought back to the afternoon when they played that song together in her house. She found it odd he didn't remember anything of his past and yet kept this book around. And even weirder were the fact that the pages he brought to her were wet with tears, as if he had been crying over them sometime recently. _Maybe he's in there somewhere after all._ She thought sleepily.

"Goodnight Simon, I love you." Marceline said as she drifted off to sleep, just as she used to do when she was a little girl.

In her dream she was seven years old again.

_Simon picked her up.  
"You're going to put it on again, aren't you?" She whispered fearfully._

_"I have to, to protect us."_

_"Simon, no!" She screamed._

_He simply kissed her on the forehead and turned away._

Please come back to me this time, Simon_. She silently prayed. It was the same prayer she always said when Simon put that crown on._

_She heard him singing a melody she recognized. They would sing it on the road together as they travelled and Simon would sing it to her to try to cheer her up._

Marceline stirred in her sleep, she was slowly waking up. She clutched at the memory, trying to live the dream as long as she could. It was a point in time where she was truly happy. She wanted to stay there for as long as she could.

_Simon finished singing and threw the crown off of his head. As it fell to the ground, he ran to pick up a can and rushed back to the car Marcy hid in. She hugged him fiercely, happy he was able to come back to her this time. "I love you, Simon."_

_"I love you too… Gunther."_

Marceline bolted upright. There was a wet stain on the sheet where she rested her head. _Come on, Marceline get it together. You need to stop crying._ There was a reason she blocked off those thoughts of Simon. She had a reputation to uphold and thinking of him was too painful. That was why she worked to avoid him all these years.

Still, something about that dream was important. Somehow she knew it was, but she couldn't figure out which part of it was important. She tried to play back the dream; everything was slipping away so fast.

She remembered dreaming about Simon. And radioactive monsters. And there was singing.

Yes, that must be it. Simon was singing something, but why couldn't she remember what it was he sang? It had something to do with people knowing your name… _Wouldn't it be nice to go where everybody knows your name?_ She gasped as she realized what song it was that she dreamt of. She and Simon used to sing it together sometimes. He must have sung it to himself to keep focus on what he was doing while he wore his crown. _That must be why I thought of it now!_ She thought suddenly.

She remembered singing it to herself at nighttime when she was alone – when Simon was gone and the Ice King took off on her. After a time, the song became too painful for her to even think about anymore so she locked it away in her memories. That was why she couldn't remember it earlier.

_I guess it couldn't hurt to sing it now,_ she thought. _ I mean, I'm already torturing myself by thinking of him so much._

She took a deep breath before her beautiful voice filled the room.

_Making your way in the world today_

_Takes everything you've got._

_Taking a break from all your worries_

_Sure would help a lot._

_Sometimes you want to go_

_Where everybody knows your name._

_Where everybody… knows your… name…_

She drifted off awkwardly. She couldn't continue singing. Sobs were beginning to shake her body. This wasn't crying simply over a song with meaning. This was a kind of crying that came from deep in her heart. Marceline finally cried for everything she lost and for everything Simon lost.

"Please come back to me, Simon. Please. You promised me!" She sobbed. "I still need you…" she whispered softly.

* * *

Simon knew there was something he had to do, something important. But he couldn't remember what it was. He had to get something.

_No you don't,_ A crackly voice in his head said. _You don't have to do anything besides build your Ice Kingdom._

No, that couldn't be what he had to do. It was something even more important than that. _Shut up for a minute and let me think, will ya?_ He thought.

_Making your way in the world today _

_Takes everything you've got._

_Taking a break from all your worries_

_Sure would help a lot._

_Sometimes you want to go_

_Where everybody knows your name._

_Where everybody… knows your… name…_

He heard that song coming from somewhere, and suddenly everything became crystal clear to him.

_Marcy._

He had to get chicken soup for her. She was sick. His Marcy was sick.

_Get it together Simon, for her._

His eyes snapped open and he noticed a woman sobbing beside him. "Where's Marcy!? Marceline, where are you? Where is she!? She is ill and she needs to have chicken soup right now!" He demanded.

The woman beside him stopped crying and looked at him. "Simon?" She squeaked.

* * *

**A/N: Yes I realize the scene I put in Marceline's dream didn't occur in that order, but have we ever had a dream that made complete and total sense? :)**

**Also! I'm going off on a theory that the Simon and Marcy episode of AT is one of the last times Simon was fully conscious before he lost complete control and became the Ice King.**

**I also apologize for making Marcy seem like a big cry baby, but I can explain. When I think of Marceline I think, "Hey this is the girl who was abandoned by someone she trusted completely and loved with her whole heart. To top it all off, he doesn't even remember her. She's lived for a thousand years and in that time learned to repress those memories to stop feeling and forget that part of her life. He abandoned her, she abandoned him too." So I think she's finally allowed to lament her losses and cry a little bit - as long as no one is around, of course! ;)**

**And just so y'all know, writing this chapter turned me into a crybaby too! **

**Sorry for rambling! I'll try to update Chapter 4 as soon as I can :D**

**xx**


	4. Breathe

**A/N: The beginning of this chapter was so hard for me to write because there were so many different ways I could go at it. I really hope I picked the right way... ****This isn't exactly where I originally planned to go with this, but it wrote itself after a while and I'm really happy with the way it turned out :)**

**This is ****part of a major point in the story.**

**PS: Anyone who was having trouble loading the link I posted in the last chapter, the song is a music box version of Remember You. It's honestly so adorable. :3**

**Enjoy!**

**xx**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Breathe**

"Who are you? Why do you know my name? Where am I?" Simon asked frantically.

"Simon, you're in a hospital and… I'm Marceline." She tried to explain slowly.

"Don't lie to me! You're not my Marcy! You're three times the age she is."

"No, Simon. I _am_ Marcy." Not knowing what else to do, she began to tell him about the last 996 years that he missed while he was the Ice King.

"I awoke one morning to find you giggling madly with your back turned to the campfire. When I called your name you turned around and I could see that you were wearing that crown again. There was a mad look in your eyes and then you said, 'Gunther needs me. I need to rebuild our kingdom.' And then you flew away. For a long time, I didn't see you after that.

You named your self the Ice King and spent at least two years creating your Ice Castle. You lived with many penguins you thought of as your children. As time went on, the mutants from the remains of the Mushroom War developed into the Candy People and other creatures. Soon we had a new civilization with magical creatures.

You had a thing for kidnapping princesses to try and marry. It wasn't until a few years ago that you met Finn and Jake who are your friends – most days. When you aren't kidnapping princesses. It was through them that we remet. I, of course, knew who you were right away. I avoided you for so long but it was inevitable, I guess, that we should meet again. You had no idea who I was." She didn't know how else to go on. She basically just summarized his entire life as the Ice King.

"Has it really been that long?" He finally asked.

"Yes. The crown has kept you from aging so you don't look much older than I last saw you."

"And you're a thousand years old now?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"I'm a vampire, Simon. Immortal." She tiredly explained.

"Wow," he said thoughtfully. "I guess I have a lot of birthdays to make up for, huh Marcy?"

At that moment, Doctor Princess came into the room.

"Ah, Ice King you're finally awake!" She said excitedly. "Poor Marceline here hasn't left your side in nearly six days! How do you feel?"

Simon looked down, obviously uncomfortable with being referred to as the Ice King. "My head hurts, but other than that I feel fine. I don't remember what happened though."

"That is quite normal. You may or may not get your memories back. If you do, they will come back slowly. Try not to force them." She didn't realize that Simon wasn't referring to how he got his injury, but the last 996 years he spent as the Ice King. "Here, take these. It will help with your headache." She gave him a bottle of pills and handed Marceline a paper. "This is his letter of discharge. He can go home now. See you later, Marceline!"

"Thanks so much, Doctor Princess."

Marceline didn't know where she would go with Simon. She guessed he would have to come back with her to her house until he learned enough about Ooo to survive on his own. She was glad he was getting a fresh start, however. Ice King was kind of a loser. She just hoped that everyone could adjust to Simon, rather than the Ice King.

"Simon, you can stay with me for a little bit until you can get back on your feet." She said warily. _And I suppose to reconnect with me._ She added. Not wanting to scare him by flying or transforming, she started walking towards her home. She didn't bother to check whether or not Simon was following her. She was used to being alone, she wouldn't let herself get attached. She couldn't afford to let her hopes up that this Simon was here to stay. It had cost her so much before.

* * *

Marceline walked away from him, expecting him to follow though not really caring whether or not he did.

Simon sighed. It was clear she was being wary of him. He supposed she had every right to be. Who knew how much he had hurt her when he was the Ice King. _I really hope I can make it up to her. _He began walking behind Marcy, lost in his own thoughts.

_I can't believe how much she has grown up. I wish I could have been there to see her grow. I really hope the situation hasn't changed her personality. She was the brightest little girl, even in the midst of the ruins of the world._

_What was I like when I was the Ice King? Why is it that I pushed away everyone I truly loved?_

He decided maybe it was best to stop thinking about it for now. He swore to himself he would spend as much time with Marceline as he could to regain her trust and get to know her again.

He really hoped he could regain at least some of his memories from before. He would have to ask Marcy to show him around his Ice Castle one day to see if that would trigger some of the memories.

It seemed like they had been walking around for hours when they had finally reached the mouth of a cave which stood a climbable three feet from the ground they stood on now.

Marceline turned around, "This is where I live."

"Here, in this cave? Jeeze, Marcy…" Simon said.

She laughed, "No you silly. I live _inside_ the cave. We just have to climb in. Well, I'll go up first and wait for you." She began floating.

"You can fly!?" Simon exclaimed. "When did that happen?"

Marceline just shrugged and flew up to the ledge of the cave. She didn't feel like going into detail about her past to Simon just yet. "Come on, slow poke!" She called down at him.

A moment later, Simon appeared at her side. He peered into the cave and saw a soft light coming from the end.

"That's my house," Marceline explained. "Come on, let's go." And began walking off into the cave.

_She's changed so much,_ thought Simon. _Well I guess she had to learn to fend for herself somehow. _He thought bitterly. _He_ should have been the one to help her through this. Not herself.

They finally reached a small little pink cabin with a white porch that wrapped around the house protectively.

"It's homey," he said quietly.

"Wait till you see inside." She said with a wink.

She stepped up onto the porch and opened the door. She showed him in.

Simon took a step forward, into the house. He looked around, trying to study the area where he would be living for a while and trying to understand Marcy a little better.

The walls were mostly bare. There were a couple of portraits here and there, but nothing that would really stand out and scream something about her. He couldn't help but note how much his Marcy had changed into the woman standing before him now.

"It's not much, but its home." She said softly. "Would you like to see the rest of the house?"

"You bet I would, Marcy." He said as he smiled at her.

"Cool, come with me." She said.

* * *

She took Simon on a tour of her house. She showed him every room except the Music Room. She told him he wasn't allowed to open it under any circumstances unless she told him so. She didn't tell him what the room was called. She didn't want him to know she played music – sure he would find out eventually, but she really didn't want to have to play anything for him, at least not yet. So many of her songs were about him. It felt way too personal to be sharing with him right away.

_Of course you can just get over yourself. It's just Simon. You've been waiting for this moment for centuries._ She told herself sarcastically.

_It just feels too good to be true. I don't want to end up regretting opening up to him if he just disappears again. _It was true. She had been too hurt as a kid to not be cautious now. She was sure Simon understood. He seemed to be trying his best to make her comfortable.

She showed Simon to the extra room down the hall and gave him some extra clothes to sleep in.

"You need to get some rest, Simon. You must be exhausted. We can talk tomorrow, alright?"

"Sure, boss. Whatever you say," He said with a smile. "Goodnight, Marcy."

"Goodnight Simon."

He opened his arms for a hug. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly stepped into them. He held her tight. She closed her eyes and tried to save this moment forever. Simon was finally holding her again. Tears welled in her eyes. _I guess I have to try._

"I'm so glad you're back, Simon." She told him. And with that she pulled away and walked into her room, leaving a very confused Simon standing outside of his room.

Marcy closed the door behind her and sat on her bed. Softly, very softy, she began crying. How much was this going to hurt her when he lost control again?

**A/N: I swear Marcy isn't bipolar! She's just scared. She wants nothing more than for Simon to come back to her for good, but she's feeling too vulnerable and our brave Marcy doesn't like that. She doesn't know if she's going to lose him again at any moment.**

**The next chapter will be happier, I promise!**

**xx**


	5. The Power of Music

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read this story and left a review! It amazes me every day when I check-up on the story and see the numbers climbing. :')**

**This chapter ran away with me, it planned itself as I wrote.**

**It's a lyric chapter which is full of flashbacks. :')**

**I'll give y'all the song titles at the end of this chappie so it doesn't ruin anything.**

**This and the next chapter will probably be one of the only few chapters that will have lots of songs. I may incorporate some later on, but not as many as this chapter has :P **

**I felt that all the songs gave it a much sadder feel. I think it worked. I was sad while writing this xD**

**This chapter is the bridge to one of the climaxes of the story. There is going to be a major plotline dealt with these two chapters.**

**ENJOY**

**xx**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – The Power of Music**

It had been a week since Simon first got to Marcy's house. His head wound was almost fully healed and he no longer got headaches. Things were going pretty well for them, all things considering. She still hadn't warmed up to him but he was still trying his darned best.

He thought back to a week ago when he had hugged her goodnight. She had let him hold her. She even said she was glad to see him.

_As her door closed, Simon softly tip-toed to her door and pressed his ear to it. He wasn't one to invade people's privacy but he was curious to know what was going on in Marcy's mind. He listened for a moment and heard a strange noise coming from her room. It took him a moment before his mind recognized the noise – it was crying. She was crying. Why was she crying? _Did I hurt her?_ But that couldn't be it. She had held him even tighter than he held her. He heard her get off her bed and open the window. Then he didn't hear anything anymore. _I guess she went out for a walk – or fly, in her case._ He thought as he walked back over to his room and lay in bed. _I'm so, so sorry, Marcy. I'll make it up to you, somehow._ He thought as he drifted off to sleep._

After that, Simon never made the first move to make a friendly gesture, no longer sure how much it was welcome. She wasn't a seven year old girl anymore.

She often would disappear, leaving Simon to entertain himself around the house. He was able to read a few of the books Marceline had in her bookshelf. He had just finished a book on the History of Ooo. It sounded crazy, but he had to get used to the new world he was going to live in.

He went to the bookshelf to find another book to occupy himself with. He picked up a book that read, "The Adventures of Fionna and Cake". He didn't want to read any more non-fiction so he thought this was suitable. He noticed the author of the book. _Ice King._ Maybe this could tell him something about himself.

Simon went to sit on the recliner and opened the book. As he did, he noticed something slip out from the middle of the book and land on the floor. He bent to pick it up and found that it was a poem. _No, not a poem. These are song lyrics._ He thought for a moment. At the top of the paper was written, _Shouldn't Come Back written by Marceline._

Simon _really_ wanted to read through the song she had written. He knew it was a bad idea but he wanted to understand Marcy, so he read.

_See you calling again,_

_I don't wanna pick up._

_I been laying in bed,_

_Probably thinking too much._

_Sorry I'm not sorry for the times_

_I don't reply, and you don't know the reasons why._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back to me._

_Tired of being so sad, tired of getting so mad._

_Stop, right now. You'll only let me down._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back to me._

_Should be easier than this,_

_After all the birthdays you've missed._

_I was only a kid._

_Sorry I'm not sorry for the times_

_I don't reply, and you don't know the reasons why._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back to me._

_Tired of being so sad, tired of getting so mad._

_Stop, right now. You'll only let me down._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back._

_Maybe you shouldn't come back to me._

As Simon finished reading, he realized he had begun to cry. He could feel Marcy's pain as if it leapt up at him from the page. He could guess at who she was writing about. How many times did he go seeking her out? That must have been so frustrating for Marceline. He wanted to see her, but didn't even know why. And she let him. She let him because inside he was Simon, no matter what.

Suddenly, Simon was plagued with a memory.

_"You don't remember anything do you, _Simon!?_" An angry Marceline screams at him._

_"What-mon?" He replies, confused._

_"Why do you even come see me when you don't remember me? You don't even know who you are!"_

_"Yes I do, I am a lyricist!"_

_He started taking papers out of his beard to prove his point._

_Marceline picks one up. It was a newspaper clipping._

_"This was you before the war." She showed him a picture of a man holding a book._

_She looked for something else to show him. She grabbed a photograph and held it to his face. It was a little girl._

_"This! You took this picture!" She exclaimed, desperate to make him remember something._

_Something stirred inside the Ice King, a feeling at the back of his mind, like someone was screaming at him. He pushed it aside as Marceline kept talking._

The memory left him as soon as it came. He wished he could see more, but the fact that he had a memory at all was great. It meant he would see more, later. _Oh, Marcy. I'm so sorry…_

If there was one thing Simon learned today, it was that Marceline communicated best through music. _That must be what she hides in that room she told me never to go in._ He thought. _Maybe if I write her my own song, it'll help her come around._ He thought desperately. _I need to make her see._

He began savaging around for a piece of scrap paper and began getting to work on his song. He felt a weird sense of de-ja vu as he put his heart and soul onto the paper in front of him, trying to win the heart and trust of another girl – this one the most important of all.

Marceline sat on a tree branch well away from her cabin. She had taken her guitar with her so she could play on her own without any interruptions.

She played chords absentmindedly as she thought about the last week with Simon. She had taught him a few things about the people of Ooo, and tried to answer his questions about when he was the Ice King. He asked questions about her life too. She had laughed when one of his questions was whether or not she had a boyfriend yet. He would want to know those things. She remembered when she was little he told her that boys were gross and not to ever, ever date. She agreed because it was Simon. She would agree to anything for him.

She thought about what it was like after he left her.

_Marcy woke up that morning and heard Simon talking to himself. He was giggling about something. Simon was so funny; she wanted to know what he was giggling about so she could laugh too. She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eye as she said, _"Good morning, Simon. Hey what's so funny?"

_At the sound of her voice he turned around. She gasped when she saw him. He was wearing that crown again, and his eyes had a wild look to them. _"Don't bother me, Little Girl. I'm doing big people things."_ He said as he turned around again. She was mad. Simon never talked to her this way. _

"Simon, snap out of it! You promised me you wouldn't put that thing on again!"_ She cried out. _

"I wish I could stay and chat, but Gunther needs me. We need to rebuild our kingdom."_ He laughed manically and flew away._

_She tried to chase after him, but she tripped in the dirt and fell, scrapping her knee. _"Simon,"_ she sobbed brokenly on the name. Somehow she knew this was the end. Simon wouldn't be coming back for her. The crown finally had him._

_Not caring about her bleeding knee, she crawled over to Hambo and held him tight as huge sobs shook her little body._

_It had been 4 days, she thought, since Simon left. Marceline walked aimlessly through the rubble, not really sure what she was looking for anymore. She wanted someone to talk to, someone to make her stop feeling like this. Like she couldn't breathe. She began to sing,_

Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you've got.

Taking a break from all your worries

Sure would help a lot.

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name.

_She was getting tired of that song. It made her think of Simon and that made her cry again. She needed a new song._

_As if someone answered her prayer, she looked up to find a music store. _Perfect. I'll just go in and pick something out. Then I can make my own music and sing about whatever I want.

_There wasn't much left to choose from, but she didn't need a giant selection. Her eyes found a single guitar leaning against the wall; she fell in love instantly. She ran to grab it and picked it up. She strummed it once and shivered as sound filled her world again._ This is perfect. This guitar and Hambo will be the perfect companions._ She thought happily._

Pulled out of her memory, Marceline sighed. She remembered spending months learning how to play that guitar. Her fingers were blistered from trying to hold the strings. It was a struggle, but the struggle had kept her mind off of _him._ Finally one day, she was able to play something. That was the first time since her time with Simon that she felt true happiness.

Marceline still remembered the song she learned to play. It had just flown out of her. Once the song was done, she found that her heart seemed lighter. That was the first time she discovered the power of music. She played her song now, hoping it would make her feel better somehow.

_None of us thought it was gonna end this way._

_It's killing me to see you go after all this time._

_It's two a.m._

_Felling like I just lost a friend._

_Hope you know it's not easy, easy for me._

_And I know it's never simple, _

_Never easy._

_Never a clean break, no one here to save me._

_You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand,_

_And I can't,_

_Breathe,_

_Without you._

_But I have to,_

_Breathe,_

_Without you._

She had learned to breathe. Things seemed to get easier for a time. Then her father came, and she felt like she had a home again. She didn't know how he had found her, but he did. He took her back to the Nightosphere and helped her out. He even gave her a new guitar on her 13th birthday once he figured out how serious she was about her music. It was the same guitar she used now, the red halberd.

She decided to sing one last song.

_I'm stuck with writing songs just to forget_

_What they really were about._

_And these words are bringing me so deeply insane._

_And I don't think I can dig my way out._

_I couldn't breathe through it_

_Like I need to, and the words don't mean a thing._

_My heart is torn in two_

_Thinking of days spent without you._

_There's nothing left to prove._

_I guess it's about time I get back to Simon now, _she said with a sigh. She strapped her guitar to her back and flew back to her cave.

Not all the singing in the world could have prepared her for what she found back at home.

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhangers ftw! **

**Haha**

**The song titles are going in order of appearance.**

**Shouldn't Come Back - Demi Lovato**

**Breathe - Taylor Swift**

**Last Time - Secondhand Serenade**

**And now that you know the song titles, listen to them and read this again xD**

**I'm already working on Chapter 6!**


	6. Alive Again

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I haven't been able to find the time to properly sit down and write a chapter. But here is the next installment and I hope it doesn't disappoint!**

**This is probably one of the last super angsty chapters and then I'll be nice and start giving you fluff :)**

**This chapter is the overcoming of one of the biggest plots in the story. And as you know, they say that the night is always darkest before the dawn!**

**Remember to leave reviews to keep me motivated!**

**Enjoy xx**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Alive Again**

Marceline quietly opened the window to her music room and crawled in. She floated over to her guitar stand and propped up her guitar. She turned around, about to head back to the window, when something caught her eye.

She opened her mouth to bare her fangs as a hiss escaped her lips. No one should be in here right now, and the fact that there was meant trouble. However, when she glimpsed the white beard she relaxed immediately.

"Simon? What are you doing in here? I could've really hurt you, you idiot. I told you not to come in here!"

"I know you did, Marcy. I figured out what this room was and I have something for you, if you would let me."

"No, absolutely not. You should have never come in here. Not yet at least."

"Marceline, you've shut me out for a week. You disappear for hours. I'm running out of things to read. I thought we could've been using this time to reconnect; So I could get to know you again." He paused, looking down at the floor. "There was once a time where you and I were inseparable." He whispered quietly.

Rage filled Marceline. Rage and betrayal, and hurt. Raw hurt. She knew he was right, but it still felt weird to her that he was back. She glared at him, "Yeah Simon, that was almost a thousand years ago," she spat. "_Before_ you left me alone. _Before_ you broke your promises to me and put that stupid thing back on your head. Time changes people, but it never made any of this hurt any less!" She was trying not to cry again. She wasn't used to feelings so exposed.

Simon stared at her with pity and self-loathing swimming in his eyes. She hadn't meant to hurt him, only to speak the truth.

"I found these," he said at last. He held up pages with notes on them. She realized it was one of her songs. One of the ones she wrote about him. She blushed slightly. "They helped me figure this puzzle out," he said softly.

Rage filled Marceline again. She didn't want comforting or to be figured out. She just wanted Simon gone. "Yeah well, music was there for me when you weren't, congrats for figuring that out." She said sarcastically.

"I know," Simon said thoughtfully. Finally, after what seemed like ages he said, "That's why I wrote something for you. I thought, if you'd let me, I could sing it for you."

"No," she began to say, but he was already plugging in the Ice King's keyboard and began setting up his tune. "Please don't," she begged. Music was the one thing to help her forget because she opened her soul to it. That lightened the burden of the load she carried on her shoulders. But she just wasn't ready to have that with Simon again. She couldn't afford to be open like that with him only to have him relapse and forget her again when he turned back into the Ice King.

He wasn't listening to her though. He was perfecting the melody on guitar. It was a very anguished sounding tune. She could tell he really put his heart into writing this for her. He began to sing,

_I'm not a perfect person._

_There are many things I wish I didn't do._

_But I continue learning,_

_I never meant to do those things to you._

_And so I have to say before I go,_

_That I just want you to know._

_I found a reason for me,_

_To change who I used to be._

_A reason to start over new,_

_And the reason is you._

_I'm sorry that I hurt you,_

_It's something I must live with every day._

_And all the pain that I put you through,_

_I wish that I could take it all away._

_And be the one who catches all your tears._

_That's why I need you to hear,_

_I found a reason for me,_

_To change who I used to be._

_A reason to start over new,_

_And the reason is you._

Her breath was caught in her throat, her eyes were watering. He continued playing. Maybe it was like she had suspected all along, and there were glimpses of Simon showing through Ice King when they were together.

_I'm not a perfect person,_

_And it seems so long since I've been gone,_

_I got so used to just hanging on._

_I feel so wrong,_

_I don't belong._

_And I know, I know, I know_

_I walk around like I'm alive again._

_But I know it's just not the same._

_I broke it all,_

_I'm sorry, _

_I broke it._

_I'm sorry I broke it all._

_I never meant to do those things to you._

Simon closed the song and looked up at her. The expression in his eyes finally made her tears fall. He was desperate to make her understand, to apologize and set things right. He bared his soul to her and wanted her to accept it.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, and closed it again. She didn't know what to say. She tried again, but still couldn't find the words to say so she closed her mouth. She walked over to her guitar. She didn't want to play for him, but he left her no choice. _I'm definitely going to regret this,_ she thought as she took a moment to try a few chords out before she sang,

_I tried to sever ties and I ended up with wounds to bind,_

_Like you're pouring salt in my cuts._

_And I just ran out of band-aids._

_I don't even know where to start,_

_Cuz you can bandage the damage,_

_You never really can fix a heart._

_I must have held your hand so tight,_

_You didn't have the will to fight._

_Maybe you can fix what's been broken,_

_But please don't get my hopes up._

_It's like you're pouring salt in my cuts._

She let the song trail off, not sure how to continue the rest of it.

Simon walked slowly over towards her. He stopped a few steps away from Marceline and then drew her into a tight hug, which she returned with equal force.

"I'm so sorry, Marcy. I'm so sorry." He kept whispering over and over into her hair. She sobbed in his arms as he held her.

_Simon is sorry; and he understands. He finally understands._ She thought to herself.

"Marcy, look at me for a second." He demanded softly. She pulled back slightly so she could see his face. "I don't know why I was able to come back to you after all this time, and I'm sorry I've caused you so much pain. But whatever happened to me to drive off the crown's powers seems to be gone. I barely even have those visions. I don't want to jynx it, but it's starting to look like I might be sticking around. Well look into it, somehow. There has to be answers somewhere in this strange world. Maybe your adventurer friends can even help us. But please trust me. Believe in me, even just a little. If there was one thing that helped me fight the crown, it was knowing you were still waiting for me. And maybe that's what brought me back this time, who knows. But I can't do it without you Marceline." His eyes searched hers.

"You won't have to, Simon. I'm right here." She said as she hugged him again. "We'll ask Bubblegum if she knows anything. Maybe even Finn and Jake know something, or have something written down in their hero book. But I promise we'll find it. I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you here. I love you, Simon."

"I love you too, Marcy."

They were quiet for a few minutes before Simon said, "Hey Marcy, what do you say we sing a song together?"

"Okay," she said with a laugh. She grabbed her guitar and Simon went to the keyboard.

"You start us off, Marcy."

_All I knew this morning after my walk,_

_Is I know something now, know something now I didn't before._

_I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now._

Simon joined in,

_I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now._

_I just wanna know you, know you, know you._

_Cuz all I know is we said 'Hello'_

_And your eyes looked like coming home._

_All I know is a simple name_

_And everything has changed._

_All I know is you held the door,_

_You'll be mine and I'll be yours._

_All I know since hours ago is everything has changed._

Simon began singing on his own,

_All my walls stood tall painted blue,_

_And I'll take them down, take them down and open up the door for you._

Marcy sang on her own,

_And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies,_

_The beautiful kind, making up for lost time,_

_Takin flight making me feel like_

Then they both sang,

_I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now._

_I just wanna know you, know you, know you._

_Cuz all I know is we said 'Hello'_

_And your eyes looked like coming home._

_All I know is a simple name_

_And everything has changed._

_All I know is you held the door,_

_You'll be mine and I'll be yours._

_All I know since an hour ago is everything has changed._

_Come back and tell me why,_

_I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time._

_And meet me there tonight,_

_And let me know that it's not all in my mind._

Marcy finished off by singing,

_All I knew is pouring rain, but everything has changed._

_All I know is the new found grace,_

_All my days I've known your face._

_Everything has changed._

"Come on, Simon. I'm hungry, let's get lunch." Marceline said suddenly. She felt lighter than she had in days. Almost as light as she had felt on the day Simon opened his eyes in the hospital.

"Me too! Let's go, Marcy!" Simon agreed.

* * *

**A/N: The songs used in this chapter are:**

**The Reason - Hoobastank**

**Alive Again - Marianas Trench**

**Fix A Heart - Demi Lovato**

**Everything Had Changed - Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran**

**For Simon's song, I did a mashup of The Reason with a verse or two from Alive Again at the end. :)**


	7. The Game

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update. Life kept getting in the way. But I promise I'm back now! To make up for the lack of posting I've made this chapter extra long. :)**

**Thank you all so much for reading and leaving reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

**x**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – The Game**

Simon and Marceline were baking in Marcy's kitchen. They were attempting to make a pie using Tree Trunks' recipe. However, it was not turning out to be anything like one of Tree Trunks' special pies.

"I think Tree Trunks would have a heart attack if she were to see this." Marceline joked. Simon would not know who Tree Trunks is. He still hadn't met any of the citizens of Ooo yet.

"Well hopefully it tastes better than it looks…?" Simon suggests hopefully.

Marceline smiled at him. Things have definitely gotten easier between them since they sung together. It had been a month since Simon first arrived at her house, she had been avoiding everyone ever since. _Well okay, just Finn and Jake. _They were the only ones who she would regularly talk to. _And Pb.._ she thought quietly. If she was being honest though, the real reason she hadn't invited Finn and Jake over recently was because she didn't want them to attack Simon, thinking he was the Ice King in an attempt to save her. But she really wanted them to get to know Simon and share her happiness.

"Uh, Simon?"

"What is it Marcy?"

"How would you like to meet two of my friends?" she said in a rush.

"Sure I would love to!" he beamed down at her.

"Really? That's great!" she smiled back at him. She didn't know why she half expected him to say no. "I'll go send them a message asking if they can come. Hopefully they're not on another one of their adventures.

She got up and walked to her room. She began writing an email that was programmed to send to BMO. So if Finn and Jake were home, they'd most likely get the email.

_Dear Finn and Jake,_

_Sorry for disappearing for so long. I have a great explanation if you would like to hear it._

She knew that would captivate them into coming. Whether they noticed her absence or not they were always hungry on information of her past. She rarely ever shared anything with them, even though they were her closest friends.

_I need you to make me a promise though, a royal promise. Please message me back when you get this so I can go into more detail._

_Marceline._

She sat for a moment, going over the message once before she pressed send. She hoped that it would get to them quickly.

A moment later her laptop beeped, indicating that there was a new message. Hastily she opened it and read,

_Hiya Marcy!_

_Sure, we'd love to come over! What is this royal promise you speak of?_

- _Finn and Jake_

She began to type back.

_It involves the Ice King… well sort of._

_Marceline._

She waited another minute before the reply came.

_What about the Ice King? Are you okay?_

_Yes, jeeze I'm fine. The royal promise you need to make is that you won't hurt him. He is staying at my house right now. I'll explain later, but that's all you need to know for now, okay? Please trust me when I say he is not a threat in any way._

_Alright, whatever you say Marcy. We'll make the promise as long as he isn't doing anything Ice Kingly. When can we come over? :)_

_How about in an hour?_

_Sounds good, see you then._

- _Finn and Jake_

She sighed. An hour. Okay. Time to go let Simon know.

She went back downstairs and found Simon eating some pie.

"How does it taste?" she asked.

"It's actually not that bad." He said, obviously trying to let her down easily.

"Let me taste!" she said as she took a fork from the drawer and stabbed the pie. She raised the fork to her lips and took a bite.

She made a face, "Not good enough to serve to guests." Though she didn't think Finn and Jake would mind.

"Oh, they're coming?"

"Yup. So we have to get everything ready, they'll be here in an hour." Normally she wasn't this nervous. Especially since it was only Finn and Jake. But she really didn't want anything to go wrong today. They had all hung out together before too, it was just going to be weird having to adjust to it being Simon and not the Ice King anymore.

"Okay, let's do it. Mind telling me a little more about your friends?"

"Oh yeah, good point. Okay well," she began as she started straightening up the kitchen, "Finn and Jake are adventurers. They like to find cool things to do or places to explore and they love helping people who are in trouble. But really they're pretty ordinary; a human and his dog."

At the mention of "human", Simon became noticeably more interested. "Human? I thought everyone was a candy creature."

"Yeah, mostly everyone is. Besides you, Finn is also human. He may be the only human left, we're not entirely sure."

"I wish I remembered more about the world before the Great Mushroom War to share it with him." Simon reflected sadly.

Marcy petted his hand, "it's okay, Simon. I'm sure you'll remember it all in your own time. Remember, your mind has been oppressed for 996 years. It's going to take some time for things to come back to you."

He smiled at her. "When did you get so wise, Marcy?"

* * *

Simon had just finished setting the pies and sandwiches on the table when there was a knock on the door.

"I'm coming!" He heard Marcy shout. "I'll be right back, Simon. Stay here."

She floated over to the living room to open the door. The floating thing was something he was finding hard to get used to. It was probably something her father taught her. Her father was the ruler of the Nightosphere, she had told him a bit about him when they last had a deep talk. He had a feeling they would spend a lot more time talking, trying to figure out lost time when they were both ready. He didn't want to push anything when things were already going so well. Simon couldn't believe the excitement he felt when Marcy finally asked if he wanted to meet her friends. He could tell she was fond of Finn and Jake by the way she talked about them. He was glad she had found some friends to ease her loneliness.

Simon could hear murmuring coming from the living room. He wondered what they were talking about.

_Probably about you,_ he thought. It made sense. He remembered once Marcy told him that Finn and Jake had dealt with him and his princess fetish over and over before. _Well that's quite embarrassing._ She was probably trying to convince them he wasn't the Ice King and there would be no trouble today.

A moment later, Marceline came in the kitchen followed by a boy and a dog walking on two legs.

"Finn, Jake, this is Simon. Simon, this is Finn and this is Jake." She introduced, gesturing to which was Finn and which was Jake.

"Hello, I'm Simon," he said nervously.

"Hey dude," Finn said at the same time that Jake said, "Hey man, what's up?"

The talking dog freaked him out a little bit, he wasn't going to deny it._ There's a lot about this world I'm going to have to get used to._

Marcy gave him an encouraging smile. Taking comfort in her, he smiled at the three of them and said, "I'm sure Marceline has already told you, but I am not the Ice King," he articulated carefully. "I do not know how or why I came back, but I did. I do not know how long I am going to stay for, but I am hoping it will be for a while; or forever. Also, I am sorry for whatever crap I put you two through in dealing with my antics while I was the Ice King. I hope in time you can see that I am quite normal." Simon was aware that he sounded a bit pretentious; however he needed to make a point. The point was that he was not the same savage they knew as the Ice King. Simon was civilized. He was educated. He was a professor and he was damn proud.

It was Jake who answered first, "Yo Simon, no worries. It was pretty fun for us while it lasted."

Then Finn, "Yeah dude, it was good times. If Mar-Mar is cool with you, then we are too!"

Marceline laughed at the use of the pet name, and the tension in the room eased immediately. "Hey guys, we made some pies and sandwiches earlier if you want some," she told them.

"Heck yeah we want some! Finn replied.

They walked to the table and everyone took a seat.

"Dig in guys," Simon said.

After a few moments the plate of sandwiches was cleared between the four of them.

Marcy brought the pies out from the fridge.

Jake eyed them before he said, "Hey Marcy, are those Tree Trunks' pies?!"

"Uh yeah, kind of," She replied before giving Simon a look of amusement. "Help yourselves boys."

Finn took the first bite. He swallowed the pie and said, "Ick Marceline! Don't play me like that, girl. This isn't Tree Trunks' pie! It's still really good, but it's not quite the same as hers."

"Yeah you're right, Finn. This isn't Tree Trunks' pies." Jake agreed.

"Okay, you guys got me. It's not exactly her pies. It's her recipe but Simon and I made them this morning."

"I've never had one of Tree Trunks' pies before but I think there are pretty good," Simon said as he gestured to the slice of pie on his plate.

Jake's eyes widened, "Dude, you haven't had one of Tree Trunks' pies before?! You're totally missing out. Finn, we need to go on an epic mission to bring Simon one of these wonders of baked goodness."

"Jake, buddy, on any other circumstance I would totally agree with you; but right now I really want to sit here and let my tum-tum settle."

"Yeah I guess you're right," Jake said as he pat his bulging stomach. "But we're gonna have to do it sometime."

"No worries man, we will."

Simon smiled at the both of them. He looked down at their plates; he didn't know how those two could eat so much pie. Simon was done after only having a couple slices, but they had finished one whole pie and the better half of the second as well.

He had listened to Finn and Jake tell Marceline about one of their latest battles with Magic Man.

"That guy is always trying to ruin my creations," Jake sulked.

"Yeah man, I know. But you sure showed him." Finn comforted.

"Haha yeah, I did. I got to eat that sandwich." Jake said happily.

An idea suddenly gripped Simon and he blurted it out before he could stop it. "We should play some b-ball guys." Simon clamped his hands over his mouth. _Where did that come from? I don't even know how to play basketball; and why did I call it b-ball?_

Marceline, Finn and Jake were all looking at him with wide eyes, clearly as surprised by his suggestion as he was.

Marceline was the first to recover, "Sure Simon, we can go play. I think I still have a ball around here somewhere." She flew away to find a ball.

"Jake, I call dibs on being on your team!" Finn called excitedly.

"Alright, buddy," Jake agreed. "Simon, you'll be on a team with Marceline. This way the teams are even; one magical person and one human."

Simon nodded. He was actually pretty nervous to play this game, even though for some reason he suggested it. He couldn't remember a time when he last played basketball.

Marceline came back with a ball in her hands and a smile on her face. She caught his look and shouted, "Hey Simon, catch!" before she threw the ball at him.

Surprisingly, he caught it. As his fingers closed around the ball, a strong flashback overpowered him.

_ "Marceline! Hey Marceline, I'm open! Pass the ball."_

_She passed him the ball and he expertly dodged around Finn and Jake before scoring a slam dunk._

_He laughed a bit manically as he scored baskets over and over. He didn't notice the look of adoration on Marceline's face, or the awed expressions Finn and Jake wore; but Simon did._

He wondered vaguely what they had been talking about before he heard Marceline's voice rousing him from the flashback.

"Simon? Simon, are you okay?" she frantically urged. "Simon, snap out of it. Talk to me."

He turned to her and smiled. Relief washed over her face. "Oh thank goodness, Simon. I thought I hurt you or something. Are you okay? You looked about a million miles away for a few moments."

"We've done this before, Marcy. I've seen it!" He said excitedly. Confusion spread across her face. He waited for realization to replace that confusion.

As it clicked in, she gasped, "You mean you had a flashback? From when you were Ice King?" he nodded. "Simon that's incredible! Is this your first one?"

"No, I've had a few small ones lately. Sometimes they're so small I only get a sense of Déjà vu, but it's still something. They've been happening for some time now."

"No, that's great!" her eyes were watering. "That means there will be more; we just have to figure out what triggers them."

He nodded again before saying, "Okay now let's go play some ball!" He wanted to ask her what it was that she told the boys that day but he felt it would be a deep topic and decided he would ask her later.

* * *

Marceline's heart did a flip in her chest when Simon told her he had a flashback. That could only mean that more was to come. She wondered when they started and why he didn't mention them before. _Probably to keep you from getting your hopes up._ Which was probably true.

The four of them played their game of basketball, but Marceline's heart was only half in it. She was trying to think of ways the rest of Simon's memories can be unlocked. _Maybe Pb…_ But no, she hadn't talked to Princess Bubblegum since the day Simon went into the coma. Marceline had to admit she kind of missed the girl.

She shook herself from her thoughts as Simon passed the ball to her and she began wrestling to keep the ball from Jake.

"Give it here, Marceline!" he cried.

"Never!" she replied as she broke away from his hold and raced to the basket. It was a close game; the score was 18-19 with Finn and Jake in the lead. They were playing until whoever reached 20. Simon was surprisingly pretty good at this, though she suspected it was due more to the fact that the four of them had played so much basketball together that his body remembered what to do more than his brain did. She wondered how much the Ice King still had some influence over Simon's thoughts.

She shot the basket and made it. She gave a yelp of joy and behind her she heard Simon shout, "Good job Marcy!"

She thought about the other times they played basketball together. Ice King loved to play "b-ball". He was quite awful at it, though he tried his little heart out. She had always suspected he was really lonely and only accepted to play the games with them so he could connect with someone._ And I wanted to connect with him again too._ Though she never did the way she wanted.

This game was different, however. She felt like she finally connected with Simon and they could work as a team. She was finally doing fun activities with her father figure, her best friend, the way she wished she could with her real father. It felt more special with Simon though. Someone she had a real connection with, rather than just a blood connection with someone she barely saw and couldn't stand.

"Simon, we _have_ to win this game, they'll never live it down."

"I've got a plan that I'm pretty sure will work. Come here, Marcy." She leaned towards him and he began whispering his plan into her ear.

They split up across the makeshift court, Marceline met Simon's gaze. There was a fierce determination in his eyes that she was sure matched her own.

This plan was going to work. She could feel it.

Her job was to keep Jake occupied while Simon snuck across the court, closest to the basket where he would be able to dunk the ball the second Marcy shot it at him.

Marcy took the ball and dribbled for a moment, stalling, pretending to look for an opening. Finn and Jake began to close around her. She smiled mischievously as she danced around Jake.

She glanced over at Simon inconspicuously as to not draw attention towards him. He was almost in place. All she had to do was get close enough to put the right amount of force behind her throw. She did a flip over Finn and threw the ball, hard towards Simon.

As she threw the ball, just as she hoped, Jake brought his arms around her – a moment too late – to get the ball from her. Since Marceline anticipated, counted on this move, she dove into Jake, putting all her weight into falling on him so he wouldn't have a chance to reach Simon.

They fell to the ground and Marcy looked up to see if Simon succeeded. She looked over just in time to see Simon land the ball in the basket.

"Yes!" she cried and jumped up to run over to Simon.

She left Jake on the floor and passed Finn, both of them left open-mouthed, unbelieving that they had lost.

When she reached Simon, she jumped into his arms. He caught her and spun her around happily.

"We did it, Simon!" We did it!" she cried happily.

"We sure did, Marcy." He said as he laughed at her enthusiasm.

As he set her down, Finn and Jake came over.

"Woah guys, what the heck was that?! That was awesome!" Finn shouted, still huffing from the game.

"Yeah, I don't think I've had that good of a game in a while." Jake agreed.

"Simon made the plan, it was quite a great plan," Marceline praised.

"Dude, you could have warned us that you were so good at b-ball," Finn joked.

"Thanks guys," Simon laughed, blushing slightly at the praise.

"Uh I don't mean to be the finger that pops anyone's bubble boyfriend, but it's getting late. We should probably head back, Finn. Who knows what crazy crud BMO has gotten into while we've been gone," Jake said.

"Oh, yeah, I guess you're right. BMO is crazy. Well thanks for inviting us over, Mar-Mar. You and Simon should come visit the Treehouse sometime."

"We will, don't worry," Marceline assured them.

"Oh uh, Marcy, can I have a secret word with you for a second before we go?" Finn asked suddenly."

"Sure Finn, let's go inside for a moment," she took him inside and faced him. "What is it, Finn?"

"It's Princess Bubblegum…" he started.

"What about her? Is she okay?"

"Well… kind of. She's been asking me if I've talked to you. Aren't you guys kind of like friends? How come you aren't talking? Did you have a fight? Oh man, girl fights are something fierce."

She wanted to talk to someone about it all. At that moment she felt the overwhelming sensation to unburden all her problems on to someone else.

So she told him all of the details of the last month. Ice King at Pb's, the coma, how she found him, how she yelled at Pb. She explained why she avoided everyone lately and how things with Simon had been going.

The story didn't take long to tell but she felt better after finally sharing it.

"Jeeze Marceline, I didn't know all that stuff. I guess that's why everything's been so calm lately," he paused for a moment before continuing. "I really think you should talk to Peebs again, man. She seemed awfully upset lately. And you know her, she never sulks around."

"I know, I will." She felt bad for Pb. The thought of her being sad was upsetting for some reason. "And Finn," she said as he began to turn around, "Thanks." She said with a smile.

"No probs Mar-Mar."

The two of them headed back outside.

"Jeeze, that must have been quite the talk, you two." Jake said suspiciously.

"Oh get out of here already, Jake!" Marceline jokingly shouted at him.

"Whatever you say, Marcy."

They watched Jake stretch and Finn climb on his back. They waved at each other before Jake took off, back home.

"Well that was really fun, Marceline." Simon said at last.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Marceline smiled. It had been a really good day.

"I really like those two."

"Yeah, you did as Ice King too… Speaking of Ice King, tell me about your flashbacks." She asked curiously.

"Sure, let's go inside and talk about it, I'm a little cold." Simon suggested as he led the way to Marceline's living room.

"Okay so, how often have they been happening?" Marcy asked as they sat down.

"Uh not too often, really. Most times I just get the feeling I used to do something a lot. They're usually more prominent in my dreams. I'll have a dream that I'll be flying, and I can see the city beneath me. Sometimes I'll be talking with a girl with pink hair, but I never see her face or hear her name. A couple times I've had a dream about you. When you were a little girl."

"Really?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, though those aren't always happy. I'll have some where I was still me and others, especially the one that haunts me the most, which is the day I left you for good."

They were both quiet for a moment in their own thoughts. Marcy was thinking about that day Simon left her, and as a way to distract herself she thought of ways to get all of Simon's memories back.

After a little while Simon spoke again, "Marceline, in the flashback I had today while Ice King was being a goofball, you, Finn, and Jake were all looking at him – me – differently. I can't quite describe it but you looked happy, and they looked… enlightened. What did you tell them?"

She smiled at him, "They asked me why I always invited you to play with us. I told them it was because you are very dear to my heart and that I loved you. They didn't believe me. They wanted to know the details so I told them the story of one of our travels; about the time I got sick. Do you remember that, Simon?" she asked, smiling softy. "We went to three different places trying to find chicken soup." She laughed softly. She knew he remembered, it was the first words he spoke when he woke up from the coma.

He chuckled beside her, as if remembering as well. He became sombre in an instant, though. "Marceline… I'm sorry I forgot you. I'm sorry that I left. I never even got to see you grow up." He said bitterly.

She scooted closer to him on the couch. Her heart was breaking; both for Simon and at his words. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder and said as softly as she could, "it's okay, Simon. I knew you would come back to me eventually. I had time to wait for you, and I was prepared to wait a lot longer than I did. I'm just really happy you came back to me."

He looked up at her and smiled, the self-loathing almost gone from his eyes. "I'm glad too."

"I'm going to get ready for bed now. Good night, Simon." She leaned over to give him a hug.

"Good night, Marcy." He said as he hugged her back.

She got up and went to her room. She laid down in her bed and tried to sleep.

* * *

Marceline tossed and turned for about an hour as sleep eluded her. She sighed in frustration and began to pick through the thoughts in her mind in order to sort them and quiet her mind.

_Simon… there has to be some way to get all of his memories back. I just don't know what to do. Maybe if he goes to the Ice Kingdom? But I don't want it to be traumatic for him… Maybe if he sees Pb that could trigger something._ She thought, recalling the pink haired girl he mentioned seeing in his dream.

_Pb…_ Definitely another, major topic to think about. _I really should go see her. There's so much I need to talk to her about. She probably hates me though. Maybe I should go see her now. I mean, it's not like I'm going to be asleep or anything… Also, I don't want to give myself time to overthink it or talk myself out of it._

The thought that Pb might be asleep crossed her mind briefly before she dismissed it. _She's probably up working in her lab._

_Okay, here goes nothing…_ She sighed again. She opened her window as quietly as she could and silently snuck out into the night.

* * *

**A/N: Just a side note, I tampered with the flashback in this chapter a bit. It is a fanfic after all ;)**

**Also, I ship BMO and that bubble so hard! I still cry every time I watch that episode.**

**Well, please leave a comment, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**I'm already working on chapter 9. It is my goal to update every week. Hopefully life lets me stick to that goal.**


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